


My Soul to Keep

by Robottko



Series: Ghastly Grim [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Demon!lock, Demons, Kissing, M/M, Monster Boy Challenge, Soul Selling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-28 04:31:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robottko/pseuds/Robottko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was no fault of his own that John Watson became the target of a demon</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1: Demon

It was no fault of his own that John Watson became the target of a demon; the man had always lived a good life. The people around him, however, were a different story. He had always been on the edge of a certain demon's awareness, flitting around just out of sight. One soul exchange in the middle of a seedy pub changed all that.

 

\--

 

"You want your wife back." The demon sneered at the scraggly looking blonde woman. The state of her sobriety was questionable, though she appeared to be better off than anyone else in the pub. "And you are attempting to sell your soul for such a request...how dull. Unfortunately for you, your soul is worthless. Goodbye, Harriet Watson."

He turned away from the blonde, annoyed that his time had been wasted so poorly. 

"Wait!" She called, and the demon rolled his eyes, turning back to her. "What about family? I have...I have a brother. He's a good bloke. A soldier..."

"He would have to be willing to agree to this pact." Sherlock responded, his voice betraying nothing. "Do you believe he would?"

"Yes. He would...that's Johnny..." Harriet nodded emphatically. "Please."

"I shall visit him." The demon replied. "But if he refuses, then it shall be your soul that shall be taken, and you will die in disgrace." 

Harriet paled as the demon turned away from her, vanishing with a swirl of his long, black coat. 

 

\--

 

The last thing John Watson expected when he entered his small bedsit was company, but that was exactly what he got. A pale man with dark, inky curls was sprawled across his desk chair, looking as if he owned the place. He turned as John entered the room, pale eyes assessing his every move.

"John Watson." The man said by way of greeting.

"That's me." John steeled himself. "Now who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my bedsit?"

The pale man smirked, standing up in what John assumed was an intimidating gesture. "I am known as Sherlock, and I am here about your sister."

"Oh god, what has she done now?" John groaned, making his way to his bed and sitting down, the springs squeaking in protest. "Drank all her money away? Are you part of a...a gang or something?"

“Not quite, no.” Sherlock smirked, “Something much more sinister, I’m afraid. Your sister was _desperate_ to get her wife back.”

“What do you mean, more sinister?” John asked. “What could be more sinister than a gang?”

“I am afraid your sister tried to sell her soul. It was worthless, so she offered yours in exchange.” Sherlock walked towards John, towering over the sitting blond. “If you refuse, your sister’s soul shall be destroyed.”

John snorted, standing up. He was still significantly shorter than the man who claimed to be a demon, but he couldn’t be bothered to care at the moment.

“You really want me to believe that you are a demon?” John asked, barely suppressing a giggle. “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”

Sherlock’s smirk widened, and John watched as his blue eyes swirled into a terrifying black, eclipsing the whites of his eyes. John’s breathe caught in this throat, and in his attempted to escape, he fell backwards against the bed. The black eyed demon leaned over him once more, his grin looking wickeder than it had a few seconds earlier.

“Christ…” John swore, trying to crawl away from the imposing figure. Sherlock halted the movement with one hand, fingers curling into the soft fabric of his jumper.

“Not even close.” Sherlock said, blinking so the darkness in his eyes vanished back into the pale blue that John had already become familiar with. “Nearly the opposite of Christ, actually.”

“So you’re a…a…”

“A demon. Yes, I’ve already told you this. Do keep up.”

John slapped Sherlock’s hand away, annoyed as the demon chuckled in response before stepping away. He sat up, rubbing absentmindedly where Sherlock’s hand had been.

“So, Harry…”

“It is either you, or her.” Sherlock cut him off. “Her soul will be destroyed.”

“And mine?” John asked hesitantly.

Sherlock paused, clearly choosing his words carefully before responding. “Your soul will not be destroyed, however, you will not be allowed to leave my realm.”

“What does that mean?”

“Essentially, you shall be my slave. In return, your sister shall get her wife back, and her soul will be saved.”

“She won’t go to…hell, or wherever it is your realm is?”

The demon chuckled, clearly pleased with John’s reactions. “No. She will, unless she is a complete idiot, go to heaven.”

“Right. Right.” John nodded, running a hand through his hair. “I accept.”

“Excuse me?” Sherlock frowned, looking down at the ex-soldier. “You accept?”

“Yes, I accept.” John replied, striving for a calm, collected tone. He was failing miserably. “I will give you my soul in exchange for my sister’s.”

“You will?” Sherlock’s eyebrows rose, and John felt momentarily pleased at being able to surprise the demon. “Your sister was right. How very wonderful for her, not so much for you.”

“Anything to keep my sister out of trouble.” John’s voice was world weary. “Do I need to do something to…er…seal the deal?”

Sherlock hummed, walking over to John once again. “We shake on it.”

John raised his hand, offering it to the demon who grabbed it quickly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He pulled the shorter man closer to him, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

“By agreeing to this contract, you agree to be in my servitude until I so choose to release you of your duties. Doing so protects your sister, Harriet Watson, as well as her wife, from my wrath.”

“I…I agree.” John said, speaking more to Sherlock’s ear than anything else.

“The contract is finished.” Sherlock said, “Now we shall seal it with a kiss.”

Before John had any time to react, the demon shifted, pressing his lips against his roughly, his hand clasping the back of the human’s neck to keep him in place. John’s hands fisted in the collar of the demon’s coat, clinging to him as they vanished in a puff of black smoke.

The next morning Harriet visited John’s bedsit, unsurprised to find nothing but the faint whiff of sulfur and a small note written in spidery scrawl:

_He agreed_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On this day, August 31st, in 1990, a child by the name of Robottko was born. It was decreed that every year on her birthday, she shall update every fanfiction that is a WIP. So, it is with great honor that I present to you this update.

Sherlock had never much wanted a human, but now that he had one, he was pleased. This human that he managed to acquire was fascinating as well. A soldier and a doctor, he was a man with nerves of steel. John even attempted to throw a punch at Sherlock as soon as they got to Sherlock’s realm, which made him laugh.

“Don’t worry, the kiss was nothing but sealing a contract.” Sherlock had assured the angry human with a chuckle. “Your heterosexuality is still unchallenged…unless you enjoyed it?”

“I didn’t enjoy it.” John had sputtered, his face flushing a magnificent red. “I just don’t appreciate being kissed out of nowhere, thank you very much.”

Sherlock had laughed at that before whirling out of the small bedroom, striding through the mansion where he lived. John had given himself a tour, and after about four hours, declared that the whole building felt like something out of a horror movie.

Of course, all his good luck would inevitably come to an end. Sure enough, by the next day, he had received a summons from the heavenly council. The waiting room was stark white, and Sherlock pulled his dark grey coat around himself, feeling ridiculously out of place.

“Oh, hello, Sherlock!” A cheery voice said, and Sherlock looked up to see one of the only angel’s he could stand. Molly stood there, a big smile on her face, and an even larger ream of papers in her hand. She waved a hand, ushering him into her office.

“Molly. The place looks…clean.” Sherlock said, sitting down in the chair in front of her desk. While other angels continued the white theme, Molly got rid of it entirely. Her desk was shiny black, and her chair a bright pink. The two chairs in front of the desk, reserved for guests, were a mismatched blue and orange, though it worked surprisingly well.

“Thank you.” Molly grinned. “I must say, when I got orders to talk to a demon about a stolen soul, I never expected it to be you.”

“I steal souls all the time.” Sherlock huffed.

“Yes, but you never keep them.” Molly replied, looking down at the papers. “In fact, you rarely even bother bringing them to your realm at all. Yet you kept one John Watson…”

“They were dull. This one is interesting.” Sherlock shrugged.

“Yes, but you can’t keep him.” Molly sighed. “He gave himself up willingly; his soul is pure.”

“He’s killed people, Molly.” Sherlock reminded her, and she frowned down at her paperwork. “That means that he _isn’t_ pure.”

“How odd.” Molly said, jotting down a few notes. “But he gave himself up for his sister selfishly. This is an interesting case, indeed.”

“So, does this mean I get to keep him?”

“For a few days.” Molly sighed, not paying Sherlock any mind now. “I have to talk to Father about this, see what he thinks.”

“I don’t see why any of this concerns Father.” Sherlock replied. “I did not take John Watson, I did not force him to come with me. I explained to him the facts, and he left with me willingly.”

“Yes, but he did not summon you.” Molly replied, raising her eyebrows at him. “He was an innocent party. Why didn’t you take Harriet Watson’s soul?”

“Are you kidding?” Sherlock snorted. “It was tattered. I wouldn’t have been able to sell her, much less _stand_ her.”

“So she offered you her brother’s soul, and you took it?” Molly asked.

“Yes. It seemed like I had a better shot with him. He was a solider.” Sherlock smiled innocently.

“Right, well, I’ll talk to Father about all this.” Molly sighed, shuffling her papers. “You’re free to go.”

Sherlock stood up and left her office without another word. There were people in the waiting room, and they flinched away as he walked past. The angel’s he understood; after all, they had seen what he was capable of. The humans’ were a little more confusing. Perhaps it was obvious to them what he was.

 

* * *

 

 

“You’re back.” John said as soon as Sherlock entered his mansion.

“You missed me, how sweet.” Sherlock laughed. “I had a meeting with an angel.”

“An angel?” John’s brow furrowed.

“Yes, they do exist.” Sherlock replied. “Something that shouldn’t be so unbelievable, as you’re currently living with a demon.”

“Yes, about that.” John said, following Sherlock around the mansion. “What exactly am I supposed to do around here, anyway?”

“What do normal people do when they become slaves?” Sherlock asked.

“Normal people don’t become slaves.” John huffed. “At least…not a lot. There are some exceptions, of course, but slavery is bad.”

Sherlock merely stared at John, who ceased his babbling quickly.

“Right. I suppose they clean and stuff…”

“Clean and stuff…” Sherlock repeated, smirking slightly. “No matter. I’ll ask my brother what he uses his servants for.”

“Oh, we’re servants now?”

“Don’t be tedious, John.” Sherlock replied. “You are to be compensated with food and bed.”

“That still sounds like slavery to me.” John sighed.

“Hush John.” Sherlock replied. “Don’t worry about the mechanics. Let’s start off simple, shall we?”

“Simple?” John asked. “Like what?”

“Tell me about yourself.” Sherlock smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to. You would cry too if you _forgot to update your fics for two freaking years..._

_“Tell me about yourself.” Sherlock smiled._

 

 

"Tell you about myself?" John's asked blankly. 

"Yes, John. Do keep up," Sherlock replied, steepling his fingers beneath his chin.

"There's nothing to tell, really," John said, shrugging. "Nothing really happens to me."

"No?" Sherlock looked amused. "You're an ex-soldier, and not just a soldier, but a doctor too. You're not close to your family, but you'd do anything for them." 

"What, did you look me up?" John asked frowning at him.

"I didn't need to," Sherlock said. "Your haircut and posture says military, but your hands tell me you're a doctor. You willingly gave up your soul for your sister, but only after I informed you that her fate would be worse than yours. So, strong moral principal. That's not even touching the fact that you were bored out of your mind in London, and that you're  _not_ bored now..."

John blinked at Sherlock in surprise. "You saw all that?"

"Yes." Sherlock's reply was clipped.

"That was amazing," John said. 

Sherlock blinked at him in confusion, searching John's face to detect lies. When none was obvious, he settled back into his seat, as if to process John's words. John watched him with faint amusement, glad to have rendered Sherlock speechless, if only for a moment.

"You think so?" Sherlock finally asked.

"Of course," John said. "That was extraordinary. Simply extraordinary." 

"That's not what people normally say."

"What do people normally say?"

"Piss off," Sherlock answered. "Though I don't know if that's to my deductions, or to my being a demon."

John snorted at that, "That's understandable. So, you're a demon that can read an entire person's history just by looking at them. Were you born for the job, or were you hired?"

"If you're asking me if I was ever a human, the answer is no," Sherlock said. 

"So, you've always been a demon?" John prompted. 

"No, I was born an angel." Sherlock said. "I fell during the great war."

"What did you do?" John asked.

"I took Lucifer's side," Sherlock replied. "That's all I needed to do."

"Can't you become an angel again?" John asked.

"No, we've been banished forever," Sherlock said. "And even if there were another way, I would never take it. I'm content here."

"But it seems so lonely," John said.

"Alone is what I have," Sherlock said, standing up. "Alone protects me. Now, be useful, and clean something."

"Clean what?" John asked, raising his eyebrows at the sudden switch in topic. 

"Anything. Everything," Sherlock snapped. "Now, I have important things to do."

With that, Sherlock swept out of the room, disappearing through a door at the bottom of the stairs.

 

 

* * *

 

 

John spent the next few hours cleaning. The amount of junk that Sherlock had built up over the years was completely ridiculous. John swept, scrubbed, and dusted until his fingers were numb, and the job wasn't even close to being done. 

He was in the middle of scrubbing the bathtub when Sherlock returned. The stains in the tub were suspiciously rust coloured, and John was debating on giving up the whole ordeal.

"You cleaned," Sherlock's voice made John jump, and he whirled around to stare at him.

"Yeah, you told me to," John reminded him. 

"Yes, but I didn't think you would actually do it."

"Not like I have much of a choice, do I?"

Sherlock didn't respond, choosing instead to inspect the flat. John rolled his eyes and continued in his task, only finishing when the tub was sparkling.

"Your limp is disappearing," Sherlock said by way of greeting.

"Huh...maybe it's some weird hell magic or something," John said.

"Hardly," Sherlock said. "You're curing it all on your own."

"I haven't done anything," John said. "Except clean, and trust me when I say that didn't work on earth."

"I wonder if we can make it disappear completely," Sherlock said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What did you have in mind?" John asked with suspicion. 

"Tell me John, have you seen a lot of violent deaths?"

"Yes, far too many."

"Would you like to see some more?"

"Oh god, yes."

**Author's Note:**

> No current plans on expanding this story, but I can always change my mind!  
> (When I first wrote this, I knew I wouldn't continue, and though I would only get like, 3 kudos. Now there's 30 kudos, amazing comments, and I am seriously rethinking my first decision!)
> 
> EDIT 10/14: Bless you all, I am so continuing this!


End file.
